Her Voice
by Lady Dudley
Summary: Trip re-defines his definition of homecoming.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Just a little something inspired by "Her Voice" from the broadway version of 'The Little Mermaid' and "Hearing Her Voice" by Starsearcher. Set mid-series 2 (a.k.a. after "Dawn"). Hope you enjoy it :)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.  
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_**Her Voice**_

_...  
>And her voice<br>It's sweet as angels sighing  
>And her voice<br>It's warm as summer sky  
>And that sound<br>It haunts my dreams  
>And spins me 'round<br>Until it seems  
>I'm flying...<br>Her voice!  
><em>...

In his darkest moments, it was always her voice that would bring him back from the brink of despair.

Whether through coincidence or fate (he preferred the latter) just as he was about to give up completely, he would hear her voice and he would know that everything was going to be ok.

At first it had been easy to dismiss the effect her voice had on him, that it wasn't the sound of her voice but the knowledge that _Enterprise_ was near that made the difference. That the sound of her voice merely heralded the comfort and safety that was at hand.

Then he'd started to admit to himself that, even on routine away missions that went like clockwork, hearing her voice when they returned elicited similar reassuring feelings. But it had still been easy to dismiss that as merely another comforting reminder that they were safely back.

Or so he'd thought.

Then he'd returned from his latest away mission and been greeted by the Captain instead, it wasn't the same.

It just didn't feel _right_ being greeted by anyone else.

He told himself that his unsettled feelings were merely his concern for Hoshi who was sick rather than anything else. But the more he thought about it, the hollower that sounded.

Something was still off.

He sighed as he returned to his quarters; dropping his bag by the desk, he flopped on his bunk and stared up at the ceiling.

It took him much longer than it should have for him to get to sleep that night and the next morning his sense that something was off hadn't diminished. His inner grumbling dissipated as he caught sight of Hoshi sitting at their usual breakfast table.

"It's good to see you're up and about," he greeted her with a grin, taking his usual seat beside her.

She beamed at him, "Phlox thinks it was just a 24-hour thing, he's given me the all clear."

"I'm glad to hear it," he replied, taking a sip of his coffee.

"How was the away mission?" she asked, taking a bite of her muesli.

He shrugged a shoulder, "Fairly bland, we found the samples that T'Pol wanted and came back without incident. Nice and easy," he added with a smile, putting his coffee down and tucking into his pancakes.

"Well, it's nice to have you home," she said easily, squeezing his forearm lightly before taking a sip of her juice.

Trip's eyes flicked from his arm to her face, suddenly realising that the uneasy feeling he'd been carrying had gone with that simple statement.

Home.

He hadn't felt like he'd come home until that moment. He looked at her as though seeing her for the first time as he realised that it wasn't coming back to _Enterprise_ that was reassuring, it was coming back to _her_.

She gave him an odd look as she caught him watching her, "What?"

He blinked, "Nothing," he assured her, turning his attention back to his pancakes, "just thinking."

Malcolm and Travis came to join them before she could comment, providing Trip with ample time to mull over this development.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Set a little bit in the future ;)**

_...  
>And her voice<br>It's there as dusk is falling  
>And her voice<br>It's there as dawn steals by  
>Pure and bright, it's always near<br>All day, all night  
>And still I hear it calling...<br>Her voice  
><em>...

Trip felt the tension from their latest mission disappear as he heard Hoshi's voice welcoming them back to _Enterprise_. The mission had been a difficult one and he was glad to be back, but even happier to be hearing her voice.

A rush of warmth washed over him as he listened to her relay instructions from the Captain. He caught sight of T'Pol's almost disapproving glance and tried to school his features into a more sombre expression, although a hint of his almost dreamy smile remained.

Even after all this time, Hoshi's voice still meant more to him than any other sound in the world.

He relaxed further as he caught sight of her on the bridge and she gave him a warm smile. He grinned and winked in response before dutifully following T'Pol into the Captain's Ready Room.

By the time the debriefing was over, her shift had ended and he hurried down to his quarters. He smiled as he caught sight of Hoshi curled up in his bed, fast asleep.

He cursed inwardly as his bag banged against the desk and she stirred. "Sorry, I meant to wait up for you," she apologised, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.

"That's ok," he assured her, setting his bag down, "it was a nice surprise to find you here."

She stifled a yawn behind the back of her hand, "How did the mission go?"

Trip regarded her with affectionate amusement, "We'll talk about it tomorrow," he told her, "I think you need to sleep."

Hoshi shook her head, stifling another yawn, "It's ok, I'm interested," she assured him.

"Go back to sleep, Ensign," he told her with mock seriousness.

It was Hoshi's turn to look amused, "Is that an order, _Commander_?"

"Yes," he replied easily, crossing the room to kiss her forehead, "now get some sleep, please."

Hoshi gave a mock, longsuffering sigh, "Fine," she replied, settling back down, "but only if you join me," she added, shifting so that he had room.

"In a minute," he promised, "I _really_ need a shower."

Hoshi nodded sleepily against the pillow, "I'll wait."

Trip watched with an amused smile as her eyes drifted shut, "Sure you will," he murmured affectionately as he headed into the bathroom.

Sure enough, Hoshi was asleep by the time he returned. He paused for a moment to watch her sleep before dimming the lights and crawling into bed beside her.

She stirred slightly as he slipped his arms around her waist, "I'm glad you're home," she murmured as she settled into his embrace.

"Me too," he replied, kissing her shoulder as she drifted back to sleep.

Trip unconsciously tightened his grip on her as he closed his eyes. He was still immeasurably comforted by the sound of her voice, but now he didn't feel like he was truly home until he held her in his arms.


End file.
